Visual indicator for submarine boats.



N0. 684,429. Patented 00f. l5, 190i. J. P. HOLLAND.

VISUAL INDICATOR FOR SUBMARINE BOATS (Application filed Sept. 27, 1900.)

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No. 684,429. Paiahiflbt. l5, l90l. J. P HQLLA-ND. VISUAL mmqgr dir FORSUBIIABINE BOATS. (Afihication filed Sept. 27, 1900.) (No Model.) S 2Sheets-Sheet 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. HOLLAND, OF NEWARK, NElV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC BOATCOMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

VISUAL INDICATOR FOR SUBMARINE BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,429, dated October15, 1901.

Application filed September 27, 1900. Serial No. 31,220. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it hwy concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN P. HOLLAND, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey,have invented certain Improvements in Visual Indicators for SubmarineBoats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of visual indicators whereby thecommander or steersman of a submarine boat may ascertain by simpleinspection at any time the degree of inclination and the depth ofsubmersion of a submarine boat; and the object is to combine all ofthese indicating devices in one simple apparatus, so that the personconning the boat may ascertain all of the conditions or the entiresituation at a glance.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate an embodiment ofthe invention, Figure 1 is a view showing a fragment of a submarine boatand representing the indicating apparatus in front elevation, and Fig. 2is a side view of the apparatus as seen from the right in Fig. 1. Fig. 3is a fragmentary view of the apparatus on a larger scale than theprincipal views. Fig. 4 is a rear view, and Fig. 5 a plan, of theindicating apparatus on a scale double that of Figs. 1 and 2.

Mounted at the side of the cabin or conning-turret of a submarine boatis a plate a, cut in the image or semblance of a submarine boat. Thisplate will be fixed in such a position that a transverse vertical planethrough the center of buoyancy of the boat will pass through thecorresponding part of the boat image a. At this point there is or may bean aperture b in the plate. Mounted slidably in guides back of the platea and adjacent thereto,is a rod d. This rod is upright at right anglesto the axis of the boat and in the same transverse plane as the centerof buoyancy thereof. Pivotally suspended at e from the upper end of therod or carrier (1 is a card f, ruled horizontally to space its surfaceequally.

vWhen this card is freely suspended and the boat is floating with itsballast-tanks empty, the ruled lines on the card should be horizontaland the upper line, which may be the up per margin of the card,- willcorrespond with the Water-line a of the boat image a, and the point e,where the card is suspended, will be at the center of buoyancy of thesaid imagethat is, at the point of the center of buoyancy of a boatconstructed according to said image. The spacing of the lines orgraduatious on the card represents feet in depth of submergence. The rodd is coupled at its lower end by a link 9 to a lever h, fulcrumed at i,and this lever is also coupled to a rod j, connected at its other end toa diaphragm 7c in a casing m, said casing being open to the water inwhich the boat floats or is sub merged through a pipe at. This pipeshould tap the shell of the boat in about the same transverse plane asthat in which the rod 61 is situated. On the rod cl is a spring 0, whichantagonizes or opposes the hydrostatic pressure on the diaphragm k.

The operation is as follows: Then the boat is floating at thesurface,the longitudinal turn or undue depression at the head or stern,if any, will be indicated by the obliquity of the upper edge of thecardf or the lines ruled thereon with the water-line a, marked on theimage a, and when the boat dives the inclination of its axis with thehorizon will be indicated in the same way, for the card swings freelyabout the point e and its lines may always be taken as parallel with thesurface of the water in which the boat is submerged. As the boatdescends in diving the hydrostatic pressure on the diaphragm is willproportionately increase and the rod d will be gradually moved upward,carrying with it the card f, and the number of graduations elevatedabove' the waterline mark a on the boat image a will indicate at theaperture b in the image the number of feet of submergence. To insurethis, the tension of the spring 0 must be regulated to resist thepressure on the diaphragm 7a to just the proper extent. This regulationof the tension of the spring may be effected by a nut 12 on the rod clbelow the swing or by any suitable device of a similar character. Thecard f may or may not have the lines thereon numbered. This is a merematter of convenience, and it has not been deemed necessary to show suchnumbers on the card in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, however,

shows a part of the device on a larger scale with numbers atthe lines.In this view the card is in the position it will assume when the boat isdiving and has reached a depth of about eight and one-half feet. Thelower edge of the cardfmay, if desired,be weighted, so as to maintainthe horizontal level of the lines thereon, and obviously the spring 0and diaphragm is may be so disposed that the latter will move the carddownward instead of upward as the boat descends in diving; but thearrangement shown is preferred, as the boat image a should appear todecend as the boat descends. The card swings as a pendulum, and it maybe of any suitable material. The plate or boat image a might be whollyor in part of transparent material, so that the lines on the card couldbe seen through it.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In an indicatingapparatus for a submarine boat,the coactive combination with a diaphragmdevice, actuated by the water of submergence, and a visualdepth-indicator, operated by said diaphragm device, of means controlledby the inclination of the longitudinal axis of the boat for visuallyindicating said inclination conjointly with said depthindicator.

2. An indicating apparatus adapted forsubmarine boats, consisting of afixed plate which partakes of the longitudinal inclination of the boat,a marked or lined pendulum-card adjacent to said plate, a carrier forsaid card, said carrier being movable perpendicularly to the axis of theboat, whereby the card is moved past said plate, and means controlled bythe pressure of the water in which the boat is submerged for operatingsaid carrier.

3. An indicating apparatus for a submarine boat, comprising a plate a,fixed in a horizontal position in the boat at the same distance from thestem thereof as the center of buoyancy and extending fore and aft, aslidable upright carrier back of said plate, a pendulum-card, pivotallysuspended from said carrier and bearing horizontally-disposed markingsor lines, a spring which acts to move said rod longitudinally in onedirection, and

a diaphragm, acted upon by the pressure of the water of submergence,which tends to move said 'rod in the opposite direction, substantiallyas set forth.

4. An indicating apparatus for a submarine boat, comprisinga plate a,simulatinga submarine boat and having a water-line a marked thereon,said plate being fixed .in a substantially horizontal position in theboat when horizontal the same distance from the stem thereof as thecenter of buoyancy and extending fore and aft, a card f pivotally sus- Ipended in the manner of a pendulum behind said plate, and means formoving said card past said plate in a plane perpendicular to the axis ofthe boat to an extent proportional to the depth of submergence of theboat, sub

stantially as set forth.

5. In a visual depth and inclination indi eating apparatus, thecombination with the '7 plate a, fixed horizontally in the boat in the 7In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 20th day ofSeptember, 1900, in

the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN P. HOLLAND.

WVitnesses:

PETER A. Ross, L. N. LEGENDRE.

